sw1mushfandomcom-20200215-history
Kasputin Yar
Kasputin Yar is the lone hospitable planet in the Yariz star system. It is an eerie world, with nearly eighty percent of its terrain covered by the curious Rofalssa stalk formations. These sinewy, vine-like plants are symbiotic to a small, coral-like organism called a Belshal. Rofalssa have an exceptionally high crystalline and silica content in their cellular structure, and when cells die, the stalks move this material up to the canopy, blooming out in dome-like pads. Belshal attach themselves to the underside of these canopies, and their metabolic processes produce a nutrient-rich water vapor. The canopies of the Rofalssa Stalks actually trap this vapor in a misty layer about thirty meters thick. Over the eons, this vast forest of Rofalssa has maintained a height of around five hundred meters. The lone sentient species native to Yariz, the Yari, live in these biogenetic mists. They're an exceptionally rare phenotype, with no known relatives in the region. Many harken their resemblence to Ithorians or limbed Sluissi, but they're quite a bit bulkier and less mobile. With six large clasping fingers on all four limbs, they grip the growth on the stalks and have, through sentient development, cultivated several types of carefully controlled fungi, lichens, and pseudopods as food sources, never letting them overtake the Belshal or Rofalssa. To the offworld eye, the topside of the Rofalssa canopies define the surface — only a handful of offworlders have ever witnessed the true surface down at the base of the stalks. Offworlders can walk upon the topside of the Rofalssa domes, but they will find the air to be very wispy and bitter. Because of its distance from its parent star, Kasputin Yar is faintly lit, and its slow rotation results in long days and nights. There are a few remote, rocky outcroppings where Rofalssa has never been able to grow, and it is here where offworld settlements such as Vanover, Nenawirth, and Porthumberlon were built. Indeed, Yaries began their interaction with offworlders due to unattended technology and other objects. Yaries were documented by Republic xenobiologists who found them amicable and quite docile, despite their size. In addition to their meticulous attention to their environment's infrastructure, the scientists also discovered that Yaries have finely attuned senses for electrical variances. While this benefits a Yari, as a general rule, droids are only allowed in urban zones. Enduring the Tumult Kasputin Yar's Place in the Union Yariz's involvement with Caspia came about more so from familiarity than formality. Caspian citizens had known about Kasputin Yar for quite some time, and had a small-scale trade arrangement with it, primarily concerning powerplant technology. SubPro had even considered this planet, which already was hosting Lokkai Starworks, as a potential new facility, but ultimately chose Caspar due to a stretch of instability on Kasputin Yar. As such, in SubPro's early days in Caspia, while the company was still setting up its new facilities, it would often refer more complex problems to Lokkai, or request refined supplies of them. When Caspia formed its Union commonwealth, Kasputin Yar's inclusion was not considered. Several of the forming committee's members saw Yariz as too much of a risk because of the corruptive influences of the Hutts, Cronese, and Tionese. During the throes of the Renaissance of Innovation, the amount of work required was so great, many companies enlisted the consultation of the Yaries and Yariz citizens to aid in the process. Through this, Yaries and Eireasari struck a fast admiration for each other. Soon, backed by delegates of the Eireasari, Meditersari, and more enterprising Caspians, the Assembly was moving to extend a treatise and invitation to consign with the commonwealth. A number of new measures and provisions were put in place, and by 6 ABY, Yariz was accepted into the Union commonwealth as an official constituent member. Senator Joolech-veno was the first representative of Kasputin Yar on the Assembly. To present times, Kasputin Yar serves as the "southern" gateway to the Union, and while the commonwealth abhors corruption and smuggling, a great deal of trade interfaces through the system on its way to and from independent factions, sources, and outlets. Some light mining is performed over on Baikoun Yar, as well as some pumice and salt harvesting off volcanic Picon Yar. Martial Position Other than the capacity to build and service warships, Kasputin Yar has little ability to base weapons or muster a substantial Army contribution. Kasputin Yar's unique ecosystem cannot support industry beyond what currently is in place, and agricultural products grow in very rare quantities. A few thousand citizens of offworld species constitute a single active Provincial Army unit and a few support units. Several hundred Yaries have undergone extensive training to enlist in the Navy as helmsmen, sensor specialists, and technicians. Because of the limited capabilities to defend itself, the Caspian Navy maintains a small fleet of several very active warships in a constant state of readiness in the system. More often than not, they engage pirates, raiders, and smugglers alike in an effort to keep commerce clean, civil, and protected in this vital, but chaotic, region. Cities Nenawirth is one of the few "extraterrestrial" cities in the Union, with a firm foundation planetside linked, via skyhooks, to a cluster of eight orbitting platforms. These platforms themselves are "soft linked", with adjustable, flexible causeways between them. Automated barges move most material and bulk supplies between the platforms. Three entire platforms are devoted to Lokkai Starworks, with slipways branching off them to service the hundreds of ship projects the small starwright is commissioned with. Most of the non-Yari population lives on the orbital platform, while most Yaries return planetside to "Nenawirth Down" during off-hours. Vanover is Kasputin Yar's second largest bonafide city, and also hosts another Lokkai Starworks facility. In this case, the Yaries allowed for the formation of large "tubs" to be formed within the Rofalssa Stalks, large enough to berth a two-hundred-meter starship. The surrounding stalks then have been adapted to serve as scaffolding for Yaries to work directly upon starship hulls in a familiar environment wherein they can be highly efficient. A substantial enclave of offworlder structures have been built upon some rocky outcroppings above the Rofalssa Stalks, overlooking the work tubs. Other smaller cities include Porthumberlon and Lurlansk. Porthumberlon holds some significance as the primary interface for bulk shipping, since it is built on one of the rare expanses upon which Rofalssa doesn't grow. Notes *In no small way, this world has become a refuge for Sluissi displaced from Sluis Van's destruction, and some hundred thousand work in the employment of Lokkai Starworks alongside Yaries. While they are certainly welcome in the blended cities, or amongst the Yaries in the Rofalssa Fields, they have congregated to form their own settlement. A few have found the name Vanover ironic, and have settled there as well. *The ''Mergansar''-class heavy cruiser CMS Kasputin Yar (CHG-19) is named for this planet. Also see: Kasputin Yar Evolution Category:CDU Planets Category:Non-coded planets